Google gives away free Chromecasts to some of its subscribers

Google is giving away Chromecasts to some of its subscribers – but that probably won’t include you.

Evidence has emerged in recent days of a Google scheme to give away its Chromecast media streaming device to YouTube Red subscribers.

If you’re scratching your head to remember precisely what YouTube Red is, don’t worry. It probably just means you’re not American, Australian, or from New Zealand. Google hasn’t made the service available outside of those territories since its October launch.

YouTube Red is the name of the video service’s paid tier. Pay $9.99 per month, and you get an ad-free YouTube experience, plus some added perks like downloadable videos and access to Google Play Music.

Google has recently dropped the price of its premium video service to $0.99 for the first three months, so it’s clearly not shifting as many YouTube Red subscriptions as it would like. This can only be affirmed by the news that certain YouTube Red subscribers are being given a £35 media streamer gratis.

“Thanks for being a part of YouTube Red,” reads a recent email received by certain YouTube Red subscribers (via BGR).

“Here’s a gift we hope you’ll love,” it continues. “Now through June 19, 2016, claim your very own Chromecast from YouTube Red. It’s on us! No strings attached, just a little treat for being one of the first people to join the party.”

Next, check out our Google I/O 2016 highlights package:

It’s unknown if this offer will roll out to all current subscribers, or whether it’s just for a small number of day one adopters.

Here’s a little suggestion for how Google might get more people to sign up to YouTube Red: make it available to more people. Don’t mention it, Google.